Skip the holiday rush! 5 reasons why you should shop online this season

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Christmas may still be a few months away, but there’s no doubt that the holiday season is officially upon us. Unless you've been pulling a Grinch, we're sure you can hear it in the blasting holiday playlists and see it in the welcoming, twinkling lights of your favorite shops by now.

As jolly and merry the holiday season in the country is, it is also—undeniably so—one of the most stressful. Road traffic gets heavier. After the painful hours of crawling commute, the same traffic moves inside the malls as hordes of people go about the task of completing their Christmas shopping lists.

It is during this season when the perks of online shopping can be such a saving grace. Filipinos may love going to malls by nature, but let’s be honest here, who wouldn’t want to be saved from the Christmas shopping frenzy if given the chance?

Thinking of finishing your holiday shopping list as early as now? Here are all the reasons why you should consider online shopping:

1. You can browse for gifts for as long as you want online.

Shopping is all fun and games until you have to deal with worries of finishing everything before you get caught up in the rush hour. Shopping online gives you the freedom to browse for gifts for as long as you want without feeling pressured to finish a certain time to avoid the busy mall crowd. 

2. You have all the time to research about the products in your shopping cart.

Not sure if one product is better than the other? One of the best things about online shopping is that you can easily check for reviews and make product comparisons before hitting that Buy Now button. 

3. You save yourself from traffic 

Do we really need to elaborate on this further? Two words: holiday rush. Save yourself from the torture of spending hours stuck in traffic by shopping wherever and whenever—preferably at home. 

4. …And long lines

Who wants to spend hours waiting in line for their turn to pay at the cashier? For many, that’s enough of a reason to turn back and drop their shopping mission in the first place. Shopping online ultimately saves you from this torture. Just click Add to Cart, Buy Now, and you’re good to go.

5. Online shopping basically just saves  you from all kinds of stress

From the moment you’re surfing online for your gifts up to the time it gets delivered to your doorstep, you literally don’t have to think and do much when you shop online. On top of that, you also have the option to explore other flexible payment options when you make your purchases over the web.

Take for example Home Credit. In addition to providing installment loans in their physical partner stores, it has also recently become available at online stores like Abenson and Argomall where you can get products in friendly installment deals. All you need to do is visit the website, check if your item is covered by Home Credit, and fill up a form. Every step of the process is done online, from proving your identity to choosing the terms of your loan. An SMS will then be sent to your number confirming the status of your application, and advising you how you can retrieve your order.

Shopping for something as special as the holidays doesn’t need to be stressful. Shop online. We’re sure Santa won’t feel bad if you use a little bit of technology for your gift list.

Follow Home Credit’s official Facebook page or visit their website to stay updated on their products.

The Final Pitch Season 5: Real Estate and Livable Cities

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The Final Pitch has launched its fifth season with the theme "Real Estate and Livable Cities"

The Final Pitch Season 5 will feature landowners and entrepreneurs who will pitch their properties and businesses to a panel of investor-judges who are looking to own a piece of their properties or companies.

The country's first and only business reality television show, The Final Pitch fifth season will start filming this November and will begin airing early 2020. 

"For the first time ever, we will be producing a season with a theme - The Final Pitch Season 5: Real Estate and Livable Citles Edition will be the first season focused on real estate projects, urban solutions, and property technologies that contribute to the livability and sustainability of our cities," said John Aguilar, serial entrepreneur creator and host of the show. Aguilar is also the CEO of Dragon's Nest, a startup venture builder that will be building the ASEAN region's next exponential startups.

Previous seasons of the show focused on various technology startups and SMES pitching their businesses to investor judges for funding. This time, real estate-related deals and solutions for the property sector will be at the forefront.

Pitching for Real Estate

"With the jitters created by the possible volatility of the demand from the POGO sector impacting the entire industry, there is now an even more urgent need to prepare for an eventual down-cycle of the property sector, and future-proof the business interests of developers and construction industry stakeholders," Aguilar noted.

"This can be done by either consolidating landholdings for the future, or even totally shifting business models to prepare for the seismic shifts that technological disruption will bring to the real estate sector," he added.

A property owner or owner's representative or broker can pitch a property to the show's investors.

"Whether for sale or joint venture, we are looking for properties across the Philippines ranging from raw land, buildings, islands, even prime properties in the Metro," Aguilar stressed.

"Our foremost criteria for accepting these properties for consideration will be that the title is clean. We will not engage in a broker or broker's representative who does not have exclusive rights to market or sell the properties they are proposing. Properties or projects with an existing prospectus or highest and best land use study are preferred, but not required. If the property is for sale, the selling price must be at least 20% below market value."

The properties must be free from any liens and encumbrances and must be fully owned by the party pitching the property. These properties will be pitched to the investors with the intertion of selling the properties to them, or engaging in a possible joint venture project together. The terms of the deal may be flexible, but if the project is not interesting, the project might not even make it past the consideration stage.

"Ultimately, we are looking for great deals for the investors for properties that can be land banked, renovated, or developed for the future," Aguilar shared.

Developing Livable Cities

Aside from real estate deals, the season will also feature startups who will pitch businesses that make for livable cities-green and sustainable building materials and technologies, clean energy, all the way to smart home and proptech (property technology) startups.

Entrepreneurs who pitch their enterprise, service or invention must have at least a minimum viable product or prototype. Businesses that provide solutions that improve people's quality of living, particularly those that address safety, hygiene, healthcare, the environment, recreation, pubilic transport and access to goods and services will also be considered.

Investor judges and mentors

The show's panel of investor Judges is a mix of property developers, businessmen, and corporate leaders keen on exploring new enterprises that can complement their businesses, integrate effectively into their value chain, allow them to diversify their portfollo, or enable them to create meaningful impact through strategic initiatives and intervention.

The fifth season's judges are real estate movers:

-- Victor Consunji, CEO of Victor Consunji Development Corporation, an innovative developer of homes and modern neighborhoods

-- Cary Lagdameo, First Vice President of Davao-based Damosa Land Inc., the real estate arm of the Anflo group of companies;

-- Cesar Wee Jr, President of Wee Community Developers Inc, one of the fastest growing premium residential developers in the country;

-- Jet Yu, founder and CEO of Prime Philippines, one of the youngest and most aggressive real estate consultancy firms in the country.

-- George Royeca, Chief Transport Advocate of Angkas - 

In the mix to look for livable cities solutions and technologies

In turn, the show's mentors, who will guide the finalists in the different aspects of their business proposals with Amor Maclang, Public Engagement head of the Urban Land Institute and co-founder of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc., and Hardy Lipana, President and CEO of Conveyance Realty Services Inc.

Interested property owners and entrepreneurs who want to pitch their property, solution or startup may log on to thefinalpitch.ph/application. Deadline for submission is by November 11, 2019.

The Final Pitch airs Sundays at 8 pm, with replays every Monday at 9:30 pm and Saturdays 1 pm on CNN Philippines. The show is produced by Streetpark Productions, Inc. To view past seasons and to find out how you can get involved in future seasons, log on to TheFinalPitch.ph

GCash makes investing possible with P50

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Filipinos can now kickstart their investment journey for the price of a donut or a cup of milk tea, thanks to leading mobile wallet GCash, which is bringing investment to the mobile wallet.

Invest Money, a feature in the GCash app, is an online platform that allows users to invest in mutual funds straight from their smartphones for a minimum of only P50, making it the cheapest and most accessible investment vehicle in the country.

The price of entry is roughly the value of a fancy donut at Krispy Kreme or half the price of a large milk tea, a come-on for beginners in investments or those afraid to put their hard-earned money at risk.

Traditional investments, on the other hand, require a minimum capital of P5,000 to P10,000.

As of October, GCash users have opened 432,000 Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITF) accounts in the Peso Money Market Fund of GCash’s partner provider ATRAM Trust Corp., surpassing the number of retail UITF accounts in the Philippine banking system, according to Mynt, the company behind GCash.

ATRAM Trust Corp., the first stand-alone trust corporation in the Philippines, pioneered global feeder funds in the country, providing Filipinos access to offshore investments in the United States, Europe, Asia and other emerging markets. The firm manages 13 UITFs.

“The figures indicate that more Filipinos are now trying to grow their money through Invest Money because the usual barriers for investing have been eliminated—the cost has been cut and the complex details of the investment process have also been removed,” said JF Darre, Chief Data Officer and Head of Financial Services at Mynt.

Aside from not requiring a large amount of money, GCash also does not ask interested investors to go to a bank to open an account or submit documents such as tax returns and payslips. All it takes to become an investor is to download the GCash app, register and answer a few questions for verification with just a few taps on the mobile phone.

With the Invest Money feature, users can also monitor closely the performance of their investments and redeem them whenever and wherever they want.

To make investing through the mobile wallet app more rewarding and convenient, GCash said it was working to add more mutual fund options, such as Bond Fund and Equity Fund.

“We are also working on adding more functionality to the app and creating a better user experience to make investing a more enjoyable habit for Filipinos,” Darre said. 

Canva Reaches US$3.2B Valuation, Launches Enterprise and Affiliate Program

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Design platform Canva recently announced its new valuation of US$3.2 billion, raising an additional US$85 million dollars from high-profile investors Mary Meeker'sBond, General Catalyst, Bessemer Venture Partners, Blackbird and Sequoia China. At the back of this announcement, the company also introduced two new ventures: Canva for Enterprise and Canva Pro Affiliate Program.

Canva aims to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere with its user-friendly design tools and thousands of templates to choose from.

Founded by Chief Executive Officer Melanie Perkins, Chief Operating Officer Cliff Obrecht and Chief Product Officer Cameron Adams in 2013, Canva has grown to over 20 million users across 190 countries, publishing over 1.8 million designs.

“In a world that is increasingly visual, Canva solves real challenges faced by product and marketing teams across every industry. We continue to be impressed by this team and their ability to expand their product lines to meet demand and we’re delighted to invest once again,” shared Kyle Doherty, Managing Director of General Catalyst.

Early last year, the startup reached unicorn status, making it one of the fastest growing and most promising female-led tech companies in the world.

Democratizing design for Filipino enterprises

Fueled by its mission to empower the world to design, Canva expands its services to cater to the needs of large Filipino businesses with the introduction of Canva for Enterprise.

“The Philippines is fast becoming a thriving hub for businesses and we, Filipinos, love to collaborate. However, as a franchisee or a company that works with teams from different offices and geographies, collaborating and centralizing processes may be a challenge - resulting in marketing materials being off-brand.

“With Canva for Enterprise, we are enabling local businesses to ensure brand consistency throughout their teams,” said Yani Hornilla-Donato, country manager of Canva Philippines.

With Canva for Enterprise, large organizations can ensure all designs created are onbrand, by facilitating collaboration with teams via a digital asset management platform, integrated workflow tools, and brand control features. 

Donato adds, “With brand control, unlimited storage, and thousands of templates, we hope to empower every business in the Philippines with a simple, easy and efficient design platform.”

Canva for Enterprise is designed with integrated and customizable design tools which make it easier for businesses to create brand assets and collaborate online.

Earn while creating with Canva Pro

While Canva for Enterprise is custom-built for large teams, Canva Pro is designed to boost productivity and empower small business owners, content creators and marketers with its time-saving design features. Whether you’re a team of one or an online business owner who has just started, Canva Pro will empower you to take your business to the next level.

With the launch of the new Canva Pro Affiliate Program, Filipinos can also earn additional income with a commission of up to US$36.50 (around PHP1,800) for each Canva Pro subscriber referred. 

“From business cards and social media posts, to presentations and flyers, we’re hoping that the affiliate program will help us spread the word about the power that Canva Pro can have for small businesses,” added Donato. “We hope that with Canva’s continued growth and expanded services, we are able to provide meaningful design solutions to every Filipino entrepreneur.”

For more information on Canva, visit https://www.canva.com/.

ABOUT CANVA

Launched in 2013, Canva is an intuitive online design and publishing platform with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere. Featuring a simple drag-and-drop user interface and a vast library of templates ranging from presentations, social media posts, posters, invitations to resumes, a huge collection of stock photography, illustrations and fonts, anyone can take an idea and create something beautiful. Canva is available on web, iOS and Android.

Marites Allen Launched 2020 Feng Shui Books, Almanac and Planner

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Feng Shui Queen of the Philippines, Marites Allen gives forecasts on love, health, wealth, and career in the coming Year of the Metal Rat.

Last October 9, during the press conference of the 15th Marites Allen Philippine Feng Shui Convention, which is set on November 24 at Novotel Manila Araneta City, Feng Shui Queen Marites Allen shared a peek into the Year of the Metal Rat. 

The New Year 2020, the Year of the Metal Rat will be a year of new beginnings! New opportunities, love, and money. 2020 is going to be successful!

The Rat is the first sign from the 12 animals cycle of the Chinese Zodiac, and for this reason, this time period is considered a year of new beginnings and renewals. 

Chinese New Year in 2020, the Year of the Metal Rat, is coming up fast and what better way to start anew and gear up for a great year than with Marites Allen’s 2020 horoscope books, Feng Shui Almanac and Planner. 

2020 Horoscope Books

The personal horoscope books provide helpful indications in many aspects of the life of each animal sign in the Chinese zodiac, including wealth, career, romance, and health for each month. It also has valuable suggestions to help prepare for the Chinese New Year and tips on what enhancers to place in specific sectors of the home and recommended fashion wear and accessories to attract positive energies through out the year. 

Feng Shui Almanac

The must-have desktop reference to go through the Year of the Metal Rat is the fully illustrated Feng Shui Almanac. Packed with practical application tips and frequently used tables and charts, it also features auspicious dates and times for scheduling important events and tasks. It has a monthly guide to the shifting Flying Stars or the lucky and unlucky sectors of the home and office to guide the reader on which areas to enhance or cure to optimize good luck or keep negative energies at bay. 

Feng Shui Planner

The Feng Shui planner is an indispensable guide designed to help the user succeed and prosper in the Year of the Metal Rat. It contains useful information such as lucky and unlucky days, favorable and unfavorable activities for each day allowing one to schedule important activities accordingly, plus many fengshui tips and suggestions to attract auspicious energies into your daily life.

Launched by the feng shui queen, Marites Allen, at the press conference for the 15th Marites Allen Philippine Feng Shui Convention held at Novotel Manila Araneta City last October 9, the new and highly anticipated books and planner will be available at the convention on November 24. To secure sure copies of the books and planner, you can pre-order them at the following Frigga branches: Megamall (8470-7661); Mall of Asia (0922-4241219); North EDSA (8442-0113); Seaside City Cebu (032-3432062/0907-8198993); or shop online at www.frigga.com.ph.

Want to know more of what’s in store for you for the Year of the Metal Rat? Want to get first dibs on the in-demand books and planner for 2020? Secure your seats now for the 15th Marites Allen Philippine Feng Shui Convention happening on November 24, 2019 at the ballrooms of Novotel Manila Araneta City. 

Get your tickets at Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/15th-marites-allen-philippine-feng-shui-convention-tickets-71031468033), call the following numbers: 0920-9509390 / 8188858/ 7360512 / 4707661 or email maritesallenevents@gmail.com.